Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
Patrick
Having phone sex with Poppy was fun, but it was nothing compared to actually being with her.
Not having her in my house for a week had created a depression for both Travis and me, or at least that’s what I told myself when he refused to do anything but lie on the couch where she liked to sit.
Thankfully, he seemed to recover quickly from whatever happened to him, and the vet gave him a clean bill of health once I finally took him in.
I’d been working with Keith on trying to set up some sort of trap to catch whoever had been stalking Poppy.
Whoever it was seemed well-versed in staying below the radar, because nothing I did worked.
I thought for sure my friend who worked at the hotel would report back to me that someone had asked about Poppy and which room she was in, but no one came in.
It was strange and continued to gnaw at me as I struggled to figure out what their next move would be.
It was less than a week until Christmas, and I needed to finish my shopping.
I desperately wanted to ask Poppy to go with me, but I knew that wasn’t safe.
We needed her to stay as hidden as possible until we could identify the threat before they got to her.
I knew it had to be driving her crazy staying cooped up at the inn, but Gage assured me that Poppy and Julie were getting along beautifully and that Poppy seemed to be having a nice time.
I picked up my phone and pressed it to my ear, checking my watch to make sure it wasn’t too early. While Gage was usually an early riser, it was a Saturday morning, and they didn’t have Daisy, which meant he might be sleeping in.
On the third ring, he answered.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, I was heading into town to finish my Christmas shopping and grab supplies before this storm hits. Just thought I would check in and see if you wanted to go stock up, too,” I said, looking out the window as the snow fell lightly.
“Actually, I was just getting ready to call you. I was planning to head out in ten minutes if that works for you?”
“Sounds good,” I said, taking a moment to build up the courage to ask for a favor.
“Hey, since I’m going to be at the store anyway, can you check with Poppy and see if she wants or needs anything?
I know it’s probably frustrating her that she can’t go on her own, but I figured the least I can do is grab stuff for her while I’m there. ”
“Yeah, let me ask her real quick and then I’ll call you back.”
“Sounds good.”
I hung up the phone and lifted the coffee mug to my lips, taking a sip.
Mornings without Poppy just weren’t the same.
It was funny how quickly her presence here had already changed things for me, especially when I found myself reaching for a bag of mini Oreos this morning for breakfast, knowing they were her favorite.
A few minutes later, Gage called back.
“Did you get a list?” I asked, already knowing that Poppy would have something she wanted.
She liked to shop, and I loved that about her.
Even though she had acted as if she hated it when I took her the first day she was here, I could see the excitement on her face as she relaxed and started shopping.
“I did, and surprisingly, it’s more than just Oreos.”
“We can’t have her not having her Oreos,” I teased, chuckling, before saying goodbye so I could get my stuff together and leave. I pulled my jacket on, checked to make sure the baby gate was up to keep Travis out of my bed while I was gone, then grabbed my keys and left.
When I parked in front of the inn, it took everything inside of me not to run in and see Poppy.
The goal was to keep her hidden, just in case they didn’t know she was staying there.
Given there hadn’t been any sign of them since the night they murdered Officer Kearton, it was hard to know what they knew and what they didn’t.
For now, we had to act like they didn’t know where Poppy was and pray we were right.
A few minutes later, Gage came out and got in the truck, waving to Julie through the window as she watched us leave.
I glanced at the bedroom where I knew Poppy was staying, and my heart sank when I didn’t see her there.
It was for the better, I reminded myself as I pulled away and headed into town.